Enable guest network with FIOS Setup

[monsterenergy22]

I have Verizion FIOS and am using my Asus RT-N66U as a switch. It is a LAN-to-LAN connection between my Fios Router and my Asus RT-N66U. The WAN connection and firewall is not used in user router and the LAN DHCP server is disabled. More info on the setup can be found HERE.

I am trying to enable a Guest Network but users are not able to connect. I have updated to the latest version of Merlin's firmware and done a factory reset. I have also set the guest network to open and users still can't connect.

Any ideas?

 

[coldwizard]

For Asus Routers "Guest" has a special meaning.

The instructions you followed starting "Next, set up your router as secondary" are for an ordinary router. With Asus routers you can change device operation mode. Go to the administration setting, and select "Access Point(AP) mode" and the Asus designers have make all the changes to run as a secondary access point to a main router including disabling DHCP server and, by default, getting a IP address via DHCP from the main router. The LAN setting is where you would set the static IP address if you need. As a plus, the unused WAN port, changes to a LAN port so you cannot plug into the wrong port.

You did test this part with PC still connected via a wired port on the Asus? "After the secondary router reboot, reboot your PC. You should be connected to your secondary router and pick up a LAN IP from the Actiontec. Verify internet connectivity."

Better test: When logged into the Asus AP, go to "Network Tools" and try a Ping to one of the defined test locations or 8.8.8.8

Now about "Guest" if you are thinking that Guest Wifi will restrict access to your local network, different than the main WiFi, It will not. In Access Point(AP) mode the security is controlled by the router port you are connect to and applies to the entire AP (LAN ports, and Wifi's). The only thing Guest WiFi can do in this mode is give them a different SSID and password to connect.

 

[monsterenergy22]

For Asus Routers "Guest" has a special meaning.

The instructions you followed starting "Next, set up your router as secondary" are for an ordinary router. With Asus routers you can change device operation mode. Go to the administration setting, and select "Access Point(AP) mode" and the Asus designers have make all the changes to run as a secondary access point to a main router including disabling DHCP server and, by default, getting a IP address via DHCP from the main router. The LAN setting is where you would set the static IP address if you need. As a plus, the unused WAN port, changes to a LAN port so you cannot plug into the wrong port.

You did test this part with PC still connected via a wired port on the Asus? "After the secondary router reboot, reboot your PC. You should be connected to your secondary router and pick up a LAN IP from the Actiontec. Verify internet connectivity."

Better test: When logged into the Asus AP, go to "Network Tools" and try a Ping to one of the defined test locations or 8.8.8.8

Now about "Guest" if you are thinking that Guest Wifi will restrict access to your local network, different than the main WiFi, It will not. In Access Point(AP) mode the security is controlled by the router port you are connect to and applies to the entire AP (LAN ports, and Wifi's). The only thing Guest WiFi can do in this mode is give them a different SSID and password to connect.

Thanks for the assistance! Duh, dont know why I didn't think to change the router over to AP mode. After I switched it to that, the guest network worked perfectly. And even though it says "The Guest Network provides Internet connection for guests but restricts access to your local network" , it still only gives them a separate SSID and password?

Devices never had a problem connecting when directly connected to the Asus router or when on my personal networks. Only devices that tried connecting to the guest network had issues. However, I can't ping google's DNS (8.8.8.8) from network tools. I can reach it from a laptop though plugged directly into the Asus.

 

[coldwizard]

I suspect that you assigned a static IP address to the Asus, without setting the gateway and a DNS server. On the Asus, in "Network Map", click on the world icon in the "AP Mode" box. On the right side you will see the current settings for the Internet access from within the Asus AP.

The gateway should be the IP address of the FIOS Actiontec router. You should be able to find out what the Actiontec is using for DNS and set it to the same on the AP.

Without the gateway and DNS entries, the AP will function just fine, but the system logs will not have the correct date/time.

And even though it says "The Guest Network provides Internet connection for guests but restricts access to your local network" , it still only gives them a separate SSID and password?

Try accessing your Actiontec router's configuration screen from the Guest WiFi.

 

[monsterenergy22]

I suspect that you assigned a static IP address to the Asus, without setting the gateway and a DNS server. On the Asus, in "Network Map", click on the world icon in the "AP Mode" box. On the right side you will see the current settings for the Internet access from within the Asus AP.

The gateway should be the IP address of the FIOS Actiontec router. You should be able to find out what the Actiontec is using for DNS and set it to the same on the AP.

Without the gateway and DNS entries, the AP will function just fine, but the system logs will not have the correct date/time.


Try accessing your Actiontec router's configuration screen from the Guest WiFi.

I assigned a static IP to the Asus and set the DNS servers but I forgot to change the Default gateway to that of the Actiontec

This would make sense why the Asus would always complain it couldn't sync the time.

I connected to the guest network and was still able to access the Actiontec router. Weird. Why does Asus list it as a separate, "public" type network if it really doesn't do anything.

Thanks again for all your help!

 

[coldwizard]

I connected to the guest network and was still able to access the Actiontec router. Weird. Why does Asus list it as a separate, "public" type network if it really doesn't do anything.

Feature works fully in Router mode. In AP mode, gives you the option to give guests a WiFi connection which can be turned off after the guest leaves, without you needing to change the password on all your devices.

 

[monsterenergy22]

Feature works fully in Router mode. In AP mode, gives you the option to give guests a WiFi connection which can be turned off after the guest leaves, without you needing to change the password on all your devices.

Ah gotcha, well thanks for all the help! I appreciate it.